It was Nice Knowing You
by Castiel V2 1997
Summary: This will explain Peace at Last because it is a bit rushed. Hope chooses to leave Lightning on her own becuase of what happened when she mastered Odin. HopexLight. 31/05/11: I have finally been able to update.
1. Nice knowing you, Light

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Final Fantasy, anything related to it or Square Enix.

This starts just after Lightning tells Hope to call her Light. Just to let you know, this is not a one-shot. I got the idea from just lying on my bed, listening to Party Rock Anthem. So that's where this came from. Somehow.

_Lightning's Perspective._

"Hope? Hope, where are you?" I said as I looked around for him. Then I remembered what he had told me.

_If you meant what you said before you got Odin, well you've gotten what you wanted. No more obstructions. No more of me blocking your way and holding you back. It was nice knowing you, Light._

"What have you done, Hope?" she said to herself, before she moved onward to Palumpolum, trying to find him along the way.

_Hope's Perspective._

I was headed towards Palumpolum, but I had to be stronger before I got there, so I would be able to gain my vengeance. I spotted a few Vespids and decided to blindside them.

_I guess it's time to start training. _I threw my Ninurta at them, hitting all 3 in one throw then I kept using Thundara until one was left. I threw the boomerang at it and it but got stuck in a wall. I ran straight at it, dodged its spin attack and grabbed its tail, then slammed it into the floor, killing it. Walking over to the boomerang, I pulled it out of the floor, folded it and moved on. Then I was smashed over 10ft away straight into a wall, the force of the impact causing me to bounce off of the wall and hit the floor. When I stood up, I looked around and spotted a Feral Behemoth. "Damn. That's just what I needed."

_When I kill it, I will be more powerful and I will be closer to my revenge..._

"Bring it on!" I screamed at it, popping open a Fortisol shroud and letting the battle magic cloud over me, charging up as it started to dash straight at me. When it hit me, we both went over the edge. I suddenly realized the wall I'd hit was the only thing separating me and a drop that spelt certain death for anyone, even L'Cie. _I only have one choice, then._

Launching myself at the Behemoth, I punched it twice in the chest, but as an added effect, the Thundara I'd been charging had added its energy to the punch. Then the Behemoth countered by slicing my chest open. I used a Cure spell to heal myself and then attacked again, this time with several Water spells. I cried in pain as the Behemoth bear-hugged me, breaking a few of my ribs. More Cure spells put them back in place, then I grabbed one of its legs, climbed up its body and started punching it in the head, using spells to augment the punches, causing it to roar in pain and smash the back of its head and me along with it, into the mountainside. Healing myself, I surrounded us both in a tornado, hitting it with spell punches and every spell I knew as we were smashed around into rocks, trees, concrete steps and other debris, severely damaging us both. I looked down and saw there wasn't much time before I hit the ground. "Time to end this." I said to myself, absorbing the tornado and hitting the Behemoth full power with both hands, finally killing it. With a last, dying growl, it slashed him across his chest as he got on top of it, and then, it hit the ground, the impact power smashing Hope off the dead bio-weapon's back and 30ft into the air, doing a backflip somersault before he hit the ground face first, knocking him out instantly.

_Lightning's Perspective._

I saw the torrential spell-wave about 5 miles away, from the southwest. _It could have been Hope doing that. But he'd need to be in a very bad fight to have to use so many spells._ But there was nothing she could possibly do, not when Hope was that far away, but as she went to proceed onward, to her surprise, it actually saddened her to leave Hope behind.

_Get a hold of yourself, soldier. You can't do anything for him._

Resolving to move on, Lightning spotted the bodies of some PSICOM Marauders up ahead, which she decided to check for anything useful. Crouching down, Lionheart out and ready to strike due to a constant risk of being ambushed, she moved over to them and found some Antidotes, two Phoenix Downs, and a Librascope. "I needed those." Lightning told herself as she moved on.

"_You like Hope, don't you, Lightning?" Snow had asked her with his usual stupid grin on his face. When I started blushing and shouted at him. "Of course I don't like him, Snow!" the grin somehow got bigger. "You do know he likes you, don't you,? Lightning?" he had told me. I was lost in thought when he said it though. Could Hope like... someone like me? I was 7 years older than him, and he was only 14. But, did he really like me? _

I was going to confront him before he ran away. If he sensed it coming and that made him run, then her guess was right. That brought a small, yet genuine smile to her face, the kind of smile that only Serah had seen before, but she heard some PSICOM moving at that moment, unaware that she was there so Lightning chose to give them a surprise. Popping up, she shot on in the side of the head, killing him instantly and then darted forward and stabbed another one in the chest, letting him drop to the floor. The third one tried to hit her in the back, but she kicked him in the face, smashing his visor and blinding him. Two slashes to the chest shut him up. For the rest of them, she started spinning in a circle, her gunblade in gun form. Shooting repeatedly, she only stopped when they were all riddled with bullet holes, on the floor and dead. Checking their corpses, she found 2 Librascopes then she headed onward.

_Hope's Perspective._

When I regained consciousness, pain was all I could feel. I barely managed to pump myself with enough Cure spells to be able to fight again.

_I must carry on. To be stronger. To avenge my mother. _

"I guess it's going to be a long road ahead." Hope started walking, boomerang out and heading towards Palumpolum. He looked around and remembered where he was. "This leads straight there. I guess I've got some luck left after all." Hope told himself as he moved onward.


	2. Salvation

I don't own Final Fantasy XIII or Square Enix.

I will try to update this once every week, but I have a lot to do for a while, so I might not be able to. But I get a month off of school soon because of the Prince getting married and Bank Holidays. Oh, and Easter.

**Assassin:** Because Snow's skull is so dense, I think after a while, Lightning's hand would be hurt more than his head would be. And if your hand hurts, you can't swing a gunblade or use magic so much. And, after a while I think it would just get annoying.

Anyway, here's Chapter 2.

_Hope's Perspective._

I kept heading onward, somehow. I was almost dead. The left side of my ribcage was broken, my back was covered in cuts and my left shoulder had been dislocated when a Scalebeast bit down on my arm and threw me into a rock. I didn't even have enough energy or time to use Cure or get out my boomerang. But I had to keep going. I would have my revenge. Then, and only then, could I die in peace. Then I found somewhere I could rest without being attacked. Heading in, I took off my jacket and used it as a pillow.

_Finally, sleep..._

_Lightning's Perspective._

I had just killed a Feral Behemoth and then found a treasure sphere with 15000 gil inside. _That will be very useful. _ I got out a potion and drank it hoping that it would relieve the ache in my ribs which had been there for a while. When it didn't, I thought about what could have caused it. I could only think of one thing.

_This can't be about Hope... Is it? _

_Because if it is, then I need to get my head examined._

_Of course not. Pull yourself together._

Hopping onto the elevator, I hit the button and went down, off of the walkways and onto the floor. I saw a Silver Lobo jump towards me. I sidestepped and beheaded it in one slash, then another one almost got me. Almost. I easily got a death-grip on its throat and I stabbed cleanly through its heart, letting go when it was dead. The biorhythm gate opened and I headed past it. Immediately, a Vespid flew at me with a spin attack. I rolled away and cut off its tail, then shot it in the head twice and it fell to the floor lifeless. Checking its body, I found nothing and stomped on it in frustration.

_You find what you find. _That was what the Lightning part of my brain said to me.

The annoyed part told it to shut up. I agreed with the annoyed part, for once in my life.

_I just noticed how boring it is without Hope by my side. Ah! Got to stop thinking about Hope._

Walking onward, I spotted what looked like a giant airborne mushroom on the horizon. I realized I would have to fight and kill that thing eventually because it was blocking, from what I remembered, a way out of the Whitewoods that led to my destination.

_Hope's Perspective._

As I awoke, I saw a Behemoth pass by the cave I was in. I sneaked outside and Librascoped it, which told me it was a King Behemoth.

_Oh shit._

And that was exactly right. The only way I could get into any condition to fight it, were either potions, which I had none of, or Cure spells which it would hear being cast. Having no other choice, I cracked open a Deceptisol shroud, a Fortisol shroud and used a wave of healing magic. The Behemoth miraculously didn't attack me for some reason. I saw my chance and took it. Jumping on its back, I started hitting it in the head using spells and charged punches. It went on 2 legs, grabbed me and threw me into the floor at full power, which hurt. Then, out of nowhere, something happened. I felt a surge of power and fell to one knee. When I got up, the King Behemoth had obviously been stunned and was just getting up as well. I blitzed straight ahead and smashed it into the rocks. I didn't stop the endless blitz of my fists until it was dead. Or so I thought. When I turned my back to it to walk away, it pulled out its sword and cut me wide open. I felt the rage take control and grabbed its sword, forced it out of the King's hands and started slicing him open. I stabbed it into the floor and used it as a platform to dropkick the Behemoth into the air and propel myself after it. I powerslammed it into the floor with so much force that it fell through into a underground cavern, creating a gigantic mushroom cloud of dust. When I dropped into the darkness, I got one hell of a surprise.

_Oh fuck. But the part of me that had just awakened told me something. Leave it to me, it said in a voice remarkably similar to Lightning's. It made me realize that I kind of missed her. Well, I guess this is the end for me. _

_No, you can kill them. Just... let me take control for now._

_Ok._

And then... something fused with me at the very centre of my soul, giving me power no man could ever obtain by normal means.

_Lightning's Perspective._

_WTF?_

"What caused that?" I asked myself as I witnessed the eruption of the dust cloud.

_That'll get PSICOM's attention... and then most of them will leave me alone._

"Good for me. I could use a break from fighting." Looking for a safe location to rest, I found one on a high incline that I could get to by climbing up.

_Just another few minutes, than I can finally rest._ When I got up there, I lied down against the back wall, slowly dozing off. My last thought was of Hope before she fell asleep.

_Hope's Perspective._

I was bleeding badly and almost broken, but somehow, for reasons unknown to me, I kept fighting. When I landed on the Behemoth, it was going to die very soon, no doubt about that from the condition it was in. But I had to fight some_ thing _I didn't know ever existed. Librascopes didn't tell me what it was either. Having no choice, I smashed straight into it, using the King's sword to slash into it. When I stabbed it, the sword got stuck in its leg, I jumped up and threw everything I had at it. Spells, punches, kicks. Anything to kill it. But when I was out of energy, it was still standing.

_This must end. Now._

_I agree with you._

I jumped up, pulled the sword out and landed on its head. Grabbing onto it, I flipped it through the air and twisted. The snapping noise I heard as it landed on the floor told me my work was done. I turned around and started walking away. Then, I was smashed through the air into the ceiling. As I fell through the air, I managed to see what it was. It looked like a fusion of a King Behemoth, a giant Scalebeast and Anima. When I landed, I started trying to destroy its legs and dodge its attempts to kill me at the same time. When one leg had been pulverized, I moved on to the other one. When that one was gone, it dropped to the ground roaring at me. Ignoring it, I threw it against the wall and started to crush its arms. When it wasn't able to swing its swords at me, I was satisfied. Then I started to stab it again and again, until I couldn't do it any longer. Yet, it was not dead.

Then, I really lost control. I charged up a combination of every black magic spell that I had and let it go at full power.

_If I die, then I'm going to be really pissed off.  
Why?  
Because I haven't slept with Light yet...  
Ok. I could think of better reasons, but I guess it's a valid one.  
What's your name, by the way?  
Castiel. I will help you when I am needed. Don't worry, I'll know when.  
Ok_

But I knew I wouldn't survive. I couldn't.  
Not in this condition.  
It was the end of the line.  
Last stop. Oblivion.

_Goodbye, Light._

When the explosion hit, I blacked out instantly.

_Lightning's Perspective._

_What the Fuck!_

I was flung through a tree by the brute strength of the blast and the aftershock flung me around like a yo-yo. When I could voluntarily move again, I looked at where the explosion had been started, and I thought only one thing.

_Hope did that. But he couldn't possibly survive the blast. I guess that he's..._

I couldn't bring myself to say it, for some reason. I felt my eyes start watering, but I was badly bruised and hurt and blamed it on that.

He hadn't deserved this fate, but otherwise, it was either turn to crystal or go Cie'th. Neither of which were very good options. I would tell the others when I found them.

"Goodbye, Hope. I'll remember you." I promised myself. Then I had no choice but to keep on walking.

**Don't worry, I won't overuse Castiel. I can think of only 2 times when I should use him. Sorry this one took so long. I've had a lot to do and even more to think about. I'll try my best to have Chapter 3 up in 2 weeks. Who should fight the giant magic mushroom? Hope, Lightning or Castiel? Please review and tell me what you think.**


	3. Hope is Lost

Well, here's Chapter 3. I hope you enjoy it. That's all I have to say, people.

_Lightning's Perspective._

I was tired, angry and lonely for the first time in my life. I had realized that I enjoyed having Hope near me, his presence constantly reminding me that I wasn't alone in this mess. Now that he wasn't there, I wasn't so sure anymore. I felt like I was on my own.

_Why do you make me feel this way! Ahh, Maker damn you, Hope for making me like this!  
_

_I must get rid of these... thoughts I've been having._

I was interrupted from my thoughts by a Silver Lobo jumping at me. I dodged its claw swipe and beheaded it with one swipe of my saber. Moving onward, I flipped my gunblade and holstered it. Heading onward once more, I saw some Corps Gunners and I thought I would get the drop on them. Pulling my Blazefire out and switching it to gun mode, I managed to hit 3 with killshots before they even knew I was there. I ran up one of their corpses as it dropped and backflipped off of it, flipping my blade to sword mode and stabbing through a Gunner's face, killing him instantaneously and when I landed, I pulled the blade out. Another two shot at me, but I avoided the bullets with ease and cut both their rifles and them in half. The final one shot at me, the bullets whizzing past my face. I cut his head perfectly in half, the top piece sliding onto the floor. I holstered my blade, advancing through the Whitewoods. I knew Hope was dead, but for some reason I felt sad that he'd died. Vanille had told me about his mother, so I get why he hated Snow. But I guess he's happy with his mother now. I looked for a vantage point so I could see my surroundings, and I spotted one. I took a running jump and grabbed onto a loose rock. When I got to the top, I got out a mini-UAV and turned it on. I flew it around for a few minutes, watching it on a small screen, when I saw something climb out of the crater made by the explosion. I flew over to it and saw someone I didn't think I ever would again.

Hope was looking at the UAV. I could hear him speaking. "Err... what is this about?" I started the video-chat and he looked happier when my face popped up on the screen. I guess I did as well, judging by his expression. "Hey, Lightning."  
"Why did you run off?"  
"You know why I ran. I'm just a blockade to you. You said so."  
"We both know that's only part of the reason."  
"Wha... what? Who told you? ... Snow."  
"Hope, you've got to face me about this."  
"No, Lightning. No, I do not, because you will kill me. Now, I will take this with me so we can speak. Ok, Light?"  
"... Ok."

The connection ended and I put the screen terminal away.

_Hope's Perspective._

There was a sandstorm because of the blast so I couldn't really see anything, but I liked it this way because I couldn't be seen. I tied my bandanna around my face and kept on walking. Then I was being shot at. I dropped to the floor and looked for the shooter. I saw him, a PSICOM commando holding a prototype rifle. I crawled towards him, and when I was close enough, I hit him with high-power Fire magic which killed him. I picked up his rifle and Librascoped it.  
"It's an AK-LX. This'll be good." I took it with me and searched the soldier. I found signs that there was a PSICOM outpost nearby. I headed for it with the intention of destroying it.

I knew it was nearby because I was forced to dodge bullets. I sprayed at them with the AK and heard screams of pain so I knew I'd hit the mark. Spotting a biohazard sign, I looked and saw a large barrel.

_Fuck it._

I shot it and I was caught in another explosion. When I got to my feet, I shot down a group of what looked like PSICOM and moved on. "Why is it always explosions? Can't it be a magic pulse?" It really annoyed me that the PSICOM seemed to be infinite.

_Do you need assistance?_

_No, not at the moment._

I unleashed a continuous fusillade of bullets at a battalion that had just emerged, killing them easily.

I decided to head into the main building. I kicked the door clean off its hinges, sending it crashing down. I followed it and when I reached the bottom, I froze.

_I could use that help now._

_Lightning's Perspective._

I could hear gunshots in the distance. "Hope." I smiled and headed on. I thought about what he was doing at that moment when a PSICOM soldier smashed through the trees and hit the floor, impaled on a tree stump. I looked at the angle, and saw that he'd been thrown from a few miles away. "What are you doing, Hope? What have you become?" I had no choice but to advance. I heard a PSICOM Reaver rush at me from behind and spun in one fluid move, beheading him. I landed perfectly and walked away. "Just another battle."

_Hope's Perspective._

_I guess you got wanted, Lightning._

_No. Those won't be my last words. I will emerge the victor in this bloody, endless war._

I'd been submitted to just about every form of torture that ever existed. I was near my end and I could tell. I wasn't human anymore. No, I was an empty shell, a broken fragment of what I once was. Then for what must have been the 1000th time, the interrogators walked in. "Where are the other L'Cie!"  
"Tell us!"  
"You know we already have the L'Cie found in Nautilus in custody!"  
"Where was the soldier scum that was with you!"

At that, something inside of me snapped, but I spoke only once. That was all it took.

"You just made the last mistake of your life. And prepare for agonising death."

I had regained more than enough strength almost instantly. I snapped the chains like paper and raised my left hand. They automatically fell to their knees, screaming and writhing in pain. After a short period, they died. It left me badly weakened and my legs lost their strength. I almost hit the floor but my arms stopped me. I saw a PSICOM Colonel walk in, twirling a baton in her hand. "Very interesting skill, Mr. Estheim. Just how did you learn to do that?" Then I lost sight.

I was awoken a few hours later. The first thing I saw was the colonel's face a foot away from mine. "If you're going to do this, can I at least know your name?"  
"Estheim. I don't feel the need to tell you my first name. You probably already know anyway."  
"I'm Colonel Jihl Nabaat. How old are you anyway?"  
"14 years old. Why?"

She pulled out a mirror and when I looked, I realized that I was wearing only my boxers. I started screaming and tried to struggle out of my bonds, but it was no use.

"This room isn't watched and it's soundproof, so I can do what I want to." She pulled my boxers down and I prepared myself.

_I so wish she was Lightning. But she's not.  
So here I am.  
Do you want my help?  
No. Not yet. I wouldn't make it out in this condition. I have one request.  
Yes?  
Make sure I don't give in, please.  
I shall do it._

_Lightning's Perspective._

_I wish she was Lightning. But she's not._

I somehow heard Hope speaking in my head.

_Ahh! Get out of my head!_

I attempted to figure out what it was about. My cheeks went red at one particularly vivid option.

_No! It wouldn't be... that! Would it?_

Confused over it all, I decided to do what I did best: kill anything hostile in my immediate proximity.


	4. Possession

**Here's Chapter 4. If you didn't like the last chapter then don't worry, Hope gets payback, and I think he deserves it. (The front-room door opens.) What the...? Nabaat, get that baton away from me. Get the god damn thing AWAY! (I grab a metal baseball bat and rush her.)**

**30 minutes after... **

**Ah, damn I feel worn out. Stay down, Nabaat! (I hit her with the bat again.) Don't look at me now. She wasn't very nice to Hope, was she? Stay... the... hell... DOWN! (I throw Nabaat out of the window.)**

**I don't own Final Fantasy. If I did, this wouldn't be happening.**

**(Nabaat rips the window frame off.)**

**What the FUCK are you, the goddamn Terminator? Bring it on!**

**(Fighting is heard in the background. I get smashed into the electric fireplace heater. After a while, I stand up.) Castiel, I'm gonna need some help here. Now!**

**...**

**Thanks! (I charge her and the laptop falls over.)**

It had been 2 hours, and JihlNabaat was very angry. Her... special interrogation with the 14-year-old L'Cie had got nothing. Apart from the obvious results. She made a note to go further with the interrogations. Maybe that would get her results.

_Hope's Perspective._

I wasn't feeling so good. I had been beaten up, kind of raped and abused by Nabaat and some PSICOM Huntresses and left here. They beat the hell out of me. White light started shining in my eyes, almost blinding me. When I could see properly again, there was a boy in a trench coat standing before me. He clicked his fingers and the chains snapped. I fell in a crumpled heap on the floor and he pulled me up so I could stand. I felt strength return to me and pulse through my body. "Who are you?"  
"I'm meant to help you where I failed."  
"Where... you failed?"  
"You don't need to know about it." Then he handed me 2 pistols. Well, they looked like pistols. "That is more powerful than any gun you'll find in this base." He showed me how to reload and shoot them. Then, he gave them to me and pushed his hand at the door, not touching it, but it was still smashed out of the wall.

"Move! If you need help, just say the word." I ran out of the room at full speed, shooting the Reaver that had just come around the corner, a perfect shot with the result of dropping it instantly. I checked its body and found keys to the storage for my clothes, equipment and boomerang. I put the key in each door until I found the right one. I put my gun on the nearby table and got dressed. I picked up my Ninurta and threw it to test my accuracy. Hit first time. I put it in my back pocket and walked away, picking up the guns, .44 Magnums, I think Castiel called them, along the way.

_I like these... A lot._

_You should. They're custom made._

"What the HELL!" I fell flat on my face in shock. "Jesus Christ! Don't do that." I blasted a door to pieces and stepped through where it once was, again coming face-to-face with a legion of PSICOM. I saw a restroom, shot the door open and dived in then slammed the door behind me. I pointed both .44's at the door as it started buckling under their attacks.

_Lightning's Perspective. _

I was almost dead from exhaustion and fatigue. I had just fought and killed the Aster Protoflorian.

_More like Asshole Protoflorian. _I allowed myself a small smile at that. Then, out of nowhere I was smashed to the floor by a pulse of energy. I looked up and saw a kid in a trench coat. I drew my Lionheart but it was speared into the floor. I felt my consciousness moving into someone else's body. It was Hope's.

_I heard gunshots ring through the air as PSICOM troopers fell, lifeless. Those that got too close were massacred by spells. When the last shot was fired, there was only silence. He spotted a PSICOM Huntress running into a corridor. It was one of the ones that had abused him. Hope started to follow her._

"Do you see what your words have made him into? You are the cause of his actions. You should have been more careful, but he has the ability to do what must be done now. You must understand that he would give his life for you." Then the kid disappeared, simply vanished into the air.

_Why, Hope? What have I made you into? You're just a kid. What have you become?_

_Well, I guess I know the answer. You've turned into someone like me. A killing machine, that gets the job done every time._

_And who the fuck was that kid?_

Not having much of a choice, I kept on walking to Palumpolum. I was near and I could tell. As I ran up to the top of the hill I was on, I spotted Felix Heights and the road that led into Palumpolum. I jumped down the hillside until I reached the floor. Then there was a surprise waiting for me.

_Fantastic. They brought in the Guardian Corps. More people to kill with less time to do it in._

I pulled out the UAV terminal and turned it on. Then I waited for a secure link.

_Hope's Perspective._

I walked out of the room, knowing I had gotten my payback, and then I felt a vibration in my jacket. I reached into my pockets and pulled the UAV out. I activated it and Light's face popped onto the screen.

"Hope."  
"Yes, Light?"  
"What did that Huntress do to you?"  
"Things that Hope wants you to do to him."  
"What... WHAT the fuck? Trench coat kid?"  
"Yes, it's me. I am in stasis in Hope's mind. I'll be blunt. You know Hope has a crush on you, yes?"  
"... Well, yes, I do know."  
"I'm so going to kill Snow for that!"  
"Go away, Hope."

"That was Hope. Now it's me speaking."  
"...Ok."  
"So anyway. The Huntresses did some bad things to him. When you next see him, knock him out and examine his body. Do whatever you want to and he'll just pass out again."

_WTF much?_

Then the connection was ended. I put the terminal back where it was and headed to the gates.

_Hope's Perspective._

I left the PSICOM base and after a while I spotted the road leading to Palumpolum. I ran straight to it, seeing someone I wanted to see very much for a while now.

_I hope Light likes being glomped. Well, maybe she won't kill me._

I almost soundlessly run up to Light and jump at her. She whips around, but she isn't fast enough. I wrap my arms around Light, tackling her to the ground.

_Lightning's Perspective._

I was watching the gates when I hear someone behind me. I turn around and see Hope tackle me to the ground. He lands on top of me in an embarrassing position. We both blush furiously, but then my Lightning Farron instinct kicks in and:  
*SLAP*  
"What was that for, Light? I just wanted to surprise you." I hear genuine hurt and sadness in his voice.

_I've upset him now. Shit, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do?_

As I'm hesitating, Hope starts walking away, and I do the first thing I think of.

_Hope's Perspective._

My jaw still hurt from the slap she gave me. I guess she hates me after all and she just wanted to show me. As I'm walking away, Light does something that surprises me very much.

She hugs me. She actually hugs me. When Light turns me around to face her though, I think one thing.

_I knew it. I FUCKING knew it..._

Then Light knocks me out in one punch.

_Lightning's Perspective._

As I undress Hope, I see the full extent of the damage done to him.

_You've probably made it worse by knocking him out._

_I had to knock him out._

_And why is that?_

_Because I'm not doing this while he's awake. It would be too embarrassing._

I'm cut off when I unzip his pants and pull them off.

Hope's legs were every colour that they shouldn't have been. There were bruises and lacerations running up his legs and underneath his boxers. I had no choice but to pull his boxers off to see what had been done.

"Be professional. Just be professional." When I saw what had been done, I looked away in horror. "Who the fuck would do this," I asked myself.

Then Hope opened his eyes.

_Hope's Perspective._

I opened my eyes to myself wearing nothing at all and Lightning looking at something very personal of mine_. _I immediately recoiled and started to run away out of embarrassment and shame. A Lionheart sticking out of the tree in front of me pointed square at my face stopped me in my tracks. Lightning turned me around to face her and I fell.

_Lightning's Perspective._

When Hope started running away again, I got out my Lionheart, aimed and threw it. He stopped instantly, the tip of the blade pressing into his head. But when I turned him around, he was out cold. "What the hell is up with you, Hope," I asked myself as I watched and waited for Hope to wake up. After a few minutes, I saw that he was up. Then out of nowhere, I got really pissed off at Hope. I looked down and checked that my turtleneck was unzipped and I loosened my skirt, and pulled out some rope.

_You. Are. Mine. And I'm going to show you that._

_Hope's Perspective._

I opened my eyes to Lightning with an open turtleneck, a loosened skirt and rope in her hands. The next thing I saw was Light's fist heading for my face. Then there was only blackness.

When I opened my eyes, I tried to move. But I couldn't. Alarm bells started ringing as I saw that I was tied between two trees in a very embarrassing position.

Then I heard a branch snap, and when I turned my head around, I spotted something very bad.

_What is Light going to do to me?_

Light had no turtleneck on, her skirt was hanging off and she wasn't wearing her boots. She looked beautiful but I had no idea what she was doing. All I could do was look on in admiration, which I did. And then I knew that I was going to be fucked by Lightning Farron.

**I know I shouldn't leave a cliffy, but the next chapter will be M-rated for Lightning making love with Hope at first, but then Light fucks Hope senseless. Oh, and I won against Nabaat. (I look at Nabaat chained to the wall, badly beaten and moaning in pain.) You shouldn't have attacked me then, Nabaat.**

**Anyway, please R&R.**


	5. Bad Decisions

**Here's Chapter 5, which is pretty much a half-flashback and half- descriptive lemon, so that's all I have to say. Do I really need to put the disclaimer?**

_Hope's Perspective. (Flashback.)_

_I had been tortured in more than one way. Nabaat smacking me around with that electro-baton and the Huntresses beating the total fucking shit out of me didn't help either. It was the being alone, surrounded by brainwashed insane murderers that were messing with my head. Lightning wasn't coming to help anytime soon, Castiel kept saying he was putting all his effort into preventing me from dying and I was expected to bear it without a single complaint._

"_Well, I can't do this anymore, alright? Nobody is coming for me and I've been left on my own to die in pain and misery. Do you know how that feels?" I didn't expect a reply but I got one. And he scared me._

"_Yes, I do know how it feels. I was an Oerban Pulse L'Cie sent to the War of Transgression. There were few that could match my rage when I fought, and the only way PSICOM could do it was with hundreds of thousands of shock troopers, all for me alone. That's how scared they were. I was captured, interrogated, humiliated and tortured for 2 years. It was terrible what they did to me. They waited until I was just about to go Cie'th, then they finally ended my pointless, brutal and depressing existence with 3 bullets in the head."_

"_I died hating PSICOM, and when I came back, I still hated them. I don't know how, but I was being held here, made to watch over the years. It may have been The Maker, but I can't be sure. _

"_Do you want to see the marks they left on me? Do you want to see what I went through? Because they make this look like nothing, nothing at all. I was 16 when he killed me and I always will be. Be who you have to be, Hope."_

"_Do not end up like me, dead in a living motherfucking hell with nothing left to live for. No family, no friends, nobody who loved you, alone in the world. I died with nothing left in the world, so you would not."_

"_It makes me think about my older sister. She wasn't sent to Cocoon, but she was in the same clan as me. Ah, can't think about what's been and gone."_

_Then Castiel disappeared and the Huntresses came in to prepare to try and break me once again, but now I knew what had to be done. I would make it through this, and come out a better person at the end of all this. There was no option for failure. Not here and certainly not now._

_Just before the Huntresses began, I started laughing and it didn't sound human. I wasn't the Hope I was around Lightning when we were alone anymore. Hell, I wasn't Hope anymore. I was the cold-hearted bastard of a man with no mercy and no regret._

_And I was going to get out, no matter how and no matter what. I was walking in the shadow of Death himself, and if you couldn't see Death until he hit you, then nobody would have any chance to fight me, because they would be dead before they looked at me. I prepared myself for it while they beat me up. When I had a fully formed idea of my escape in my head, I resigned myself to waiting._

_I knew that when I saw Light again, one look was all it would take and she would see that I'd been in Hell, or as close as possible. And really, I knew she would do her best to heal my broken soul and make me forget things nobody should have to witness, especially not me, the mentally and physically scarred 14-year-old boy who had watched his mother die in front of him._

_When I saw Lightning looking at what had been done to me, I felt a mixed reaction.  
Surprise.  
Shock.  
Fear.  
Relief.  
But most of all, I felt a strange, alien feeling. I could guess what it was, but I didn't want rejection because that would be the end of me.  
Hope Estheim R.I.P. _

_But I felt safe when I was near Lightning, I felt like I wasn't alone anymore. I felt like I could be myself around the soldier 7 years my senior who'd kill me if she knew about my crush on her. Just before she punched me in the face, I wanted to see what Light would do and I saw it, alright._

_She had reached into her pocket and given me some painkillers after she'd tied me up. And that's how I ended up here, tied up and about to make love to Lightning, at last. But she's kind of scaring me with the way she's behaving right now._

Light took off her cape and the shoulder epaulette, removed her gloves and threw them all up onto a high branch so they wouldn't be taken by any annoying birds. I was getting a bit nervous, so I asked her. "Why are you doing this, Light?" I only got one reply from her. "My name is Claire."

She stabbed her Lionheart into her floor and made her way over to me and then kissed me, lightly at first but it turned into a bruising, passionate battle for dominance. I moaned into Claire's mouth and she invaded my mouth with her tongue, exploring everywhere she could reach. We needed air, so we broke the kiss off, and it didn't take long for me to start wanting more.

I knew what was coming next and so did Lightning. But we didn't care anymore. We just wanted to hold each other and show we loved each other once in a while. I mean, ever since the Vile Peaks, you could cut the sexual tension with a chainsaw and build Cocoon 2.0, for fuck's sake. We had both had enough, and I guess this made us go all out on each other.

As Claire was kissing me, she didn't know... yet, but the ties were loose enough that one sharp movement forward would undo them and let me free. All thoughts drifted from my head though when Light moved her hands down... down... further down...

_Oh fuck, that feels good._

Claire had wrapped one hand around my fully-erect member, and was pumping me to see if I would moan, which I did, and she whispered in my ear in an arousing voice, "I will make you come... I will make you scream my name, my real name, and you _will_ be mine, Hope." All I had the ability to do was moan, arch my back and jack my hips forward, leaking pre-cum.

I started to scream when Lightning grabbed me, raised the underside of my shaft, licked the whole length, rolled her tongue across the head and then took me into her mouth, I almost lost myself but then Claire started bobbing her head up and down that was the end of my control. I warned her, "Light... I'm going to come!" Claire swallowed everything, and moved up so we were face-to-face. "You taste good, Hope." I had nothing to possibly say to that.

Then, in an amazing demonstration of power and balance, Claire jumped, used me as a stepping stone and wrapped her legs around my shoulders. I stared in awe at her, thinking of only one thing to tell her. "You're... well, you're beyond beautiful." Claire's face went six different shades of red and turned her face away, but she abruptly started moaning and screaming as my tongue entered her slit, and I licked all that I could possibly reach.

The liquid flowing down her thighs and my face told me she needed it just as bad as I did. When I was satisfied, I shifted my head and kissed Claire's clitoris, making her crush her legs against my head, grab fistfuls of my hair and moan with her angelic voice.

"Oh... Hope... You are sofucking good at this... HOPE!" Claire screamed as I sucked her bud into my mouth, and started trailing the tip of my tongue over it, teasing Light. It worked very well, as her grip on my hair tightened, tugging with enough force to make waves of pleasure ripple through my body.

Light was trying to dominate me, but I wasn't going to let that happen. Not here.

Claire's hips grinding into my face, and me sucking, kissing and lightly nipping on her core and sensitive spots, eventually made her come. I felt her body tighten, and instinctively clamped my mouth over her slit, drinking all that came and smiling at the taste of her afterwards. I didn't lie to her. No lies, not anymore. "You taste like... Like perfection itself." She was speechless, which was very rare, and then I made my move.

I snapped the ropes and flipped us so she was on top. The impact with the floor didn't hurt very much, but Light slapping me in the face did. "Why do that, Hope! It was just getting good for me-"

But then I shut her up by flipping us over, so I was on top, and I started planting butterfly kisses along her face, cheeks and down her neck and shoulders to my intended destination. Her breasts were just right, and change. I left a mark on her left breast that only we would know was there. When I kissed her nipples, her back arched and she lustfully ordered, "Tug on them, kiss them, lick them, suck them, do whatever. Just... please... make me feel good, Hope."

I happily obliged because I loved Claire more than anyone else. The way she would move her lips to my ear and tell me what she would do to me, the way she moaned when I did something right, the way she somehow knew just how to make me go insane with need, the way she had been teasing me until I could barely hold back from showing her what I could do to her and the way I knew I would happily die for Claire if I had to.

I was distracted by Light flipping us over and lining me up with her core. I looked at her in apprehension and she said one thing. "I want you, Hope... _now_!_" _I slowly entered her, feeling proof of her virginity, and feeling good that I was her first, as she was for me. I broke through, and heard Light cry out in pain, so I kissed her until she bucked her hips at me, so I took that as a sign to continue.

Moving slowly at first, I got faster every few thrusts, both of us perfectly in the same rhythm and moaning in extreme pleasure. We both felt the end coming, so I thrusted as deep and hard as I could into Claire before she came, with only a scream and her nails digging into my back as a warning, and I felt myself near the end. "Claire, I-I'm going to come!"

"Stay inside me, Hope!"

I was hesitant at first, but Claire tightened around me and I came into her, moaning her name. I lightly laid down on her, my head resting in the valley between her breasts. I kissed them both, then kissed Light on the cheek and went back to where I had just been. I then said it, in a shaky voice. "I... I love you, Claire."

I grabbed my clothes and started running for my life, hearing Light calling my name, telling me to come back and swearing. Castiel appeared and instantly turned his head away when he saw me.

"Fucking hell! I didn't see anything, thank God." I told him to make me invisible, which he did, also changing his body so that he looked like smoke in the wind, ready to disperse or fully form at a moment's notice. When we were sure Claire wasn't following us, we stopped and fell to the floor from the strength it took to run for that long.


	6. Run For Their Lives

Sorry for the delay in posting, but I've had to do a lot of things at once, so I haven't had much time to write. Anyway, here's Chapter 6.

"You do know she will kill you for leaving her like that?" Castiel asked me a question with a clear answer. "Yes, she will cripple and then kill me. I am aware of that." I told him, which was all I could do after running for that long, and dodging bullets from Lightning's gunblade and Ruin spells.

We both knew that if we went back, we would die. Well, _I _would because Castiel was already dead. Knowing Lightning, she'd probably find a way to kill him again anyway. We could hear Light screaming from quite a distance away, which was the safest place for us to be right now.

"I have decided not to use Lightning's real name because she may hear me, then find and shoot me in the head."

_Lightning's Perspective..._

"HOPE! WHEN I FIND YOU, I WILL MAKE YOU WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN!" Hope knew I would murder him if he came back. I mean, who has sex with someone and thendecides to run for their lives? He does, apparently.

_Hope's Perspective..._

We both heard Light screaming, so we decided to get moving. I now knew where Nabaat was, so I was going to have my revenge and then move on when she ceased to exist. I put my orange jacket back on and started the walk that would let me, at least in part, avenge my mother and myself.

"Castiel,"  
"Yes?  
"How did you get the revolvers?" I asked him.

"I got them in the War of Transgression." It was a bit short, but I let the matter drop. Then I looked at my Ninurta. It wouldn't be enough for what I was planning to do. _I need a gunblade..._

I know this chapter is short, but I needed to get over the writer's block I had for this story; for me this was the best way to do that.


	7. Author's Note

Just thought I'd put this in to say I'm putting both my FF13 fics up for adoption, because I'm working on something different, which means I have lost inspiration for both current fics. Just review or PM me if you want to adopt either, and write them out in whatever way you want to.


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